Improvement in locks



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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT M. HILL, oE ERANECRD, CONNECTICUT, AssIGNoR To CHARLES A. MILLER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMIRCVEMI-:IQT IN LOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 36,053, dated July 29, 1862.

To all whom it may concern.-

- Be it known that I, ALBERT M. HILL, of

Branford, Connecticut, have invented an Improvement in Door-Locks; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of door-locks which, by reversing the latch bolt, can be converted from lefthanded to righthanded locks, and vice versa; and my improvement consists in simple mechanism, fully described hereinafter, by means of which the said conversion may be readily accomplished.

In order'to enable others skilled in the art to make. and use my invention,I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation.

On reference to the accompanying drawings', which form a part of this specification, Fig. ure 1 is a side view of a mortise-lock with a portion of one of the side plates removed in order to illustrate my improvements; Fig. 2, the same, showing my improvements in a position differing from that seen in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a transverse section of the lock on the line 1 2, Fig. 2; Figs. 4, 5, and 6, detached portions of my improvements.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views. v

A represents the box or case, and B the faceplate of the lock, which, as regards external form, is similar to mortise-locks of the usual construction.

As my improvements are entirely independent of the lock-bolt, tumbler, and key, it has been deemed unnecessary to show the same in the drawings.

The usual square spindle, H, to which are secured the handles or knobs for operating the latch-bolt, passes through and tit-s snugly in the hubs of the arms DV and D', one hub being arranged to turn in one side plate and the other inthe opposite side plate of the box or case of the lock, as seen in Fig. 3.' The hub of one arm has a circular recess,into which an annular projection on the hub of the other arm fits snugly, but so as to turn freely, the two hubs fitting together, as best observed on reference to Figs. 3 and 6. The hub of one arm is capable, under the Circumstances described hereinafter, of moving independently of that of the other arm to an extentlimited by apin, a, on the'hub ofthe arm D', the said pin projecting into an elongated recess in the hub of the arm D.

The latch-bolt is composed of the usual beveled head, E, attached to or forming a part of the stem e, the latter being so connected to the sliding yoke G as to turn freely therein, but so that one cannot move longitudinally independently of the other. rIhe leg h ofthe yoke G has a projection, t', against which bears the arm D, the legit of the same yoke having a similar projection, i', against which bearsthe arm D'. 'Ihe yoke is guided by the hubs of the ltwo arms D and D', and is connected to the case of the lock by the two spiral springs m and m',(or other suitable springs,) which tend to force the yoke and the latch outward in the direction of the arrow.

As long as Athe square spindle H occupies its proper position in the hubs of the two arms D and D', the latter cannot turn independently of each other,but,occupying the positionshown in Fig. 2, will serve to move the latch inward on turning the handles or knobs attached to the square spindle H, the square head E of the latch-bolt being confined within, guided by, and therefore incapable of turning in thev square opening of the face-plate as long as the spindle H remains in the hubs of the two arms. On withdrawing this square spindle from the hubs, however, the latter. are permitted to turn independently of each other to the limited extent allowed by the projection a, and through the action of the springs m and m' the arms will assume the position shown in y Fig. l,thereby allowing the square end E ofthe vlatch-bolt to project so far beyond the square opening of the face-plate that the latch can be turned round in the yoke, and the inclined side of the head E be made to assume a position the reverse of that which it previously occupied.

On the reinsertion of the square spindle H into the hubs of the two arms D and D', the latter will necessarily assume theirI former relative position shown in Fig. 2, the square head E of the latch-bolt being` drawn into the square hole in the face-plate B, from which it cannot be projected to an extent sufficient to allow it to be turned round until the square f spindle is again withdrawn, and the arms D and D' thereby permitted to turn to alimited extent independently of each other, as before.

It Will be readily seen, Without further description, that by the above-described simple mechanism the lock may be readily made right or left handed, at pleasure.

Although I have described my improvements as applied to amortise-lock,it Will be evident thatthey are equally Well adapted to ordinary rim and other locks in which latch-bolts are used. I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to claim, broadly, converting a leftT handed into a righthanded lock, and vice versa7 by reversing the latch-bolt, the same having been heretofore accomplished by the aid of mechanism diering from and more complex than that above described; but,

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent- The arms D and D', constructed, adapted to each other, and arranged for the reception of the square spindle H substantially as set forth, in combination with the sliding yoke G, its projections i and i', or their equivalents, and the latch-bolt E, the latter being connected to and arranged to turn in the said yoke, as specified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

- ALBERT M. HILL.

Witnesses:

HENRY HoWsoN, J oHN WHITE. 

